The past three national champions all had two things in common: one of those is that they all were from the Big Ten, and the other is that they all had deep defensive line rooms. Indiana’s defensive line last year was in a unique position, where they lost their top guy (Stephen Daley) and still were able to dominate up front. Granted, elite defensive line play isn’t the only thing that can rush the passer or stop the run, but it plays a critical part in this process.
When I got to watch the Indiana football spring game, I noticed that the defensive line stood out. It seemed that the line could be stronger than last season. This was before a court ruling allowed Indiana to bring back Daley and Kellan Wyatt. Now I think that this might be the best individual position group in the country.
A good defensive end can put pressure on the quarterback, but also set the edge in the run game. In the Big Ten conference, preventing the run is crucial to victory. Indiana is poised to be one of the best run defenses in the nation this season.
The Headliners
The two athletes who stand out for Indiana on the edge are Stephen Daley and Kellan Wyatt. They both were granted a fifth and final year of eligibility and will be poised to return as starters for this Indiana defense.
Stephen Daley – Fifth Year/ Winchester, Virginia
Daley was the tackles-for-loss (TFL) king for Indiana last season in his 13 games played. Six of these games he started. His season was unfortunately cut short due to an injury while celebrating the Big Ten championship. he is still recovering from that injury today.
Daley was a transfer in the 2025 offseason from Kent State, where he dominated in his second and third years of college. He put up fewer numbers for Indiana, but still managed to lead the Big Ten in TFLs. Once he makes his full return, he will surely be one of Indiana’s top linemen.
Kellan Wyatt – Fifth Year
Wyatt’s season was cut short after seven games due to an injury in the Michigan State game last year. This allowed Daley to see more of a role for the team. This season, once he fully recovers from his injuries, they will likely play together more often, although too many defensive linemen are never a problem.
Wyatt put up 28 tackles and 2.5 sacks in his seven games played last year. He showed much improvement from his Maryland years before. Wyatt’s highlight game was the first Oregon game where he saw 1.5 sacks and three total tackles. The Indiana defensive line went wild in this game with six total sacks.
Wyatt will be an important starter to this Indiana defensive line once his recovery is finished. I expect a lot of improvement from both Wyatt and Daley in their second seasons under the Bryant Haines defensive system.
The Transfers
Indiana saw a need during the offseason at defensive end and fully addressed it. The three portal additions were a large reason why I believed this defensive line could be better than last season, and this was before the courts allowed Daley and Wyatt to return.
Chiddi Obiazor – Fourth Year/ Kansas State
The first of the two Kansas State edges is Chiddi Obiazor. Obiazor sits at 6’5″, 279 pounds, and will be a physical force for Indiana off the edge. He excels in run defense, but has room to grow as a pass rusher.
There is reason to believe that he will develop, though, because he broke out last season with 28 tackles and has steadily improved each of his three college seasons. He even grabbed an All-Big 12 honorable mention last season.
This year, he will likely be a strong rotational piece for Indiana, as they try to have the deepest defensive line in the nation. For him to become more of an every-down player, he would need to improve as a pass rusher.
Tobi Osunsanmi – Fifth year/ Kansas State
Tobi Osunsanmi is the second Kansas State edge from the portal from Indiana. At 6’2″, 255 pounds, he is a bit more of a finesse player than his counterpart, but still brings plenty of power. Osusnsanmi tabbed four sacks last season along with 20 tackles.
He brings 36 games of collegiate experience, which helps make this defensive line one of the most experienced lines in the country. Osunsanmi logged two sacks on former Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht last season, in his career game versus the Cyclones.
He will also rotate in and out of the lineup depending on health and performance, but he brings strong chemistry with Obiazor, so don’t be surprised if they play off of each other.
Joshua Burnham – Fifth year/ Notre Dame
Joshua Burnham saw his role lessen at Notre Dame in the 2025 season, but still was able to produce quality numbers. He had an excellent 30-tackle season in 2024, then saw a drop to 16 in 2025. He also has six career sacks, three of which were in 2025. While he may have seen his role lessen, he got better at being a pass rusher.
He will likely not be a starting lineman for IU, but rather another strong depth piece who brings a boatload of top-tier D1 experience under a great coaching staff at Notre Dame. He is a player whom Indiana defensive coordinator Bryant Haines can fully trust to fill his role every game.
Every defensive line needs a lot of rotational guys off of the edge, and these five guys will all rotate in and out, allowing for everyone to be fresh at all times.
Returning Rotational Player
Daniel Ndukwe – Third year/ Lithonia, Georgia
Daniel Ndukwe is the final likely rotational piece of this Hoosiers defensive end unit. Last season, he notched 14 tackles, two of which were sacks for the Hoosiers.
Last year, he appeared in 15 games and received academic Big Ten honors. He had two tackles in the national title game and put up numbers throughout the playoffs. He now brings quality, big-game experience that many members of this position group do not have.
If he makes a massive leap in his second year on the field, then maybe he can play more of a role, but there are so many mouths to feed on this Indiana defensive line.
Backups
Indiana has an assortment of young talent that is likely not to see the field, except in blowouts. Now, Indiana’s schedule is favorable to have several blowout victories that those players could get much-needed on-the-field experience.
Tyrone Burrus Jr. – Second year/ Indianapolis, Indiana
Tyrone Burrus Jr. did see the field last year in two total games. One of which he totaled one tackle against Purdue. He was a consensus three-star prospect out of Indiana. He was a top-10 prospect in Indiana and won All-County honors in his high school career.
As a second-year player, Burrus is more likely to be a prominent backup for Indiana, especially if he makes the sophomore leap.
Keishaun Calhoun – Second year/ Groveport, Ohio
Keishaun Calhoun didn’t see any playing time in his first collegiate season, as the Hoosiers won the national title. At 6’2″, 265 pounds, the three-star prospect has the size to play in the college game. He is a top 45 recruit out of Ohio, which is a football hotbed.
He will likely make his collegiate debut in an Indiana blowout. There is no point in Indiana redshirting a player, not that they could redshirt twice in the past, but Calhoun will most likely get to play.
Ronelle Johnson – First year/ Kansas City, Missouri
Ronelle Johnson was Indiana’s top-rated edge rusher commit last recruiting cycle. He is from the Missouri side of Kansas City and was tabbed as a four-star prospect (top 10 in state). He enters college at elite size, poised to play right away. The only problem is how jam-packed Indiana will be at this position all year long. If the coaching staff sees fit, look for Johnson to play in the “garbage time that Indiana will have this season.
Quentin Clark – Third year/ Dexter, Georgia
Quentin Clark saw his first collegiate action last season as a member of special teams for 14 games. He will likely retain this important and underrated role this season, but also look to grow as a pass rusher. He had four total tackles last season.
He was a three-star prospect out of High School, where he had a 105-tackle season as a junior. One of the more dominant high schoolers in the state at the time. He has struggled to find playing time because he sits at 6’1″, 221 pounds, which is significantly undersized. At minimum, he is a key special teams performer.
Kevontay Hugan – First year/ Sarasota, Florida
Kevontay Hugan is a true freshman out of Florida, where he was a four-star, top-200 national recruit. He was also the number 24 recruit in Florida, according to 247 Sports.
At 6’1″, 227 pounds, he is in the same situation as Clark, where he might have to wait to make his debut. If the coaching staff can trust him with special teams duties, they will. He has elite speed-rushing ability that most of Indiana’s power rushers don’t have, so if he can work up to 245 pounds, he will be primed to be a major pass rusher.
Final Assessment
Indiana has a vast, talented group here. There is so much talent and depth in the room. There will never be tired legs on the field at this position. Indiana will be ok if Daley and Wyatt cannot start the season, but they will be even better if they can indeed play.
Indiana, in my opinion, has the best defensive line in the nation with the combination of the ends and the tackles. The defensive line will stop the run better than anyone in the nation, and I expect them to get after the quarterback at a high rate as well.
Other Position Previews:
Special Teams:
Offensive Linemen
Quarterback:
Tight Ends:
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